Former Winter Haven Police Officer Gets 5 Years in Prison in Prostitution Case

Thursday

Oct 17, 2013 at 3:51 PMOct 18, 2013 at 3:38 AM

A former Winter Haven police officer was sentenced Thursday to five years in prison for charges related to having sex with prostitutes while on duty.

By JASON GEARYTHE LEDGER

BARTOW | A former Winter Haven police officer was sentenced Thursday to five years in prison for charges related to having sex with prostitutes while on duty.Circuit Judge Catherine Combee also ordered Paul Bryant IV to serve five years of probation following a hearing that included testimony from Winter Haven's police chief and a former "working girl."Bryant pleaded guilty in August to false imprisonment, disclosing confidential criminal justice information and three counts of soliciting pros­ti­tu­tion.Bryant's arrest last year was the result of a three-month investigation by the Winter Haven Police Department and the Polk County Sheriff's Office.Bryant, 30, had been a member of the Police Department since August 2009 and was paid $41,080 a year. He resigned after his arrest in December.David Lopez, a Sheriff's Office detective who helped investigate the case, said he questioned Bryant, who initially denied the allega­tions.When confronted with evidence, he admitted to his actions, but he didn't show remorse, Lopez said."He was more concerned with his face being plastered across the news," Lopez said.At Thursday's hearing, one woman testified that she is no longer a "working girl," but that she was at the time she had sex with Bryant.She said Bryant asked her for sex while on duty, and he was wearing his law enforcement vest, badge, radio and handgun."I didn't want to go to jail," she said. "I was scared, so I did what I did."The woman said she was "devastated" by Bryant's actions."It's really bothered me to think that a police officer would do that," she said.She was asked why it made a difference to her since she had sex with other people for money."Because police officers are supposed to uphold the law," she answered.Winter Haven Police Chief Gary Hester testified about the importance of law enforcement agencies working to maintain the public's trust in them."It's absolutely essential," Hester said. "The authority that we have is granted to us by our citizens, and it's painful any time a member of the law enforcement community violates that trust the citizens place in us."Hester described such incidents as having the potential to drive "a wedge" between officers and the communities that they swore an oath to protect.One prostitute testified Bryant told her that he could be her "friend on the street" and even warned her to "take the day off" to avoid a prostitution sting.Any officer who leaks information about undercover operations can place the safety of fellow officers at risk, Hester said."That's kind of the ultimate betrayal, for a sworn law enforcement officer to potentially place a co-worker and fellow officer at risk because of them leaking information on an undercover operation," he said.

[ Jason Geary can be reached at jason.geary@theledger.com or 863-802-7536. ]